This invention relates to titanium organometallic complexes which comprise a titanium bisalkoxy moiety or a titanium dichloride moiety.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,491,246 and 5,504,223 describe the treatment of Me4C5SiMe2Nt-bu[MgCl]2(DME)n with titanium tetraisopropoxide to provide Me4C5SiMe2NtBuTi(OiPr)2 which may be treated with SiCl4 to yield the corresponding dichloride.
In this specification, the following expressions have the meanings set forth hereinafter:
(1) Cyclopentadienyl means any substituted or unsubstituted cyclopentadienyl compound, group or moiety, including but not limited to any alkylcyclopentadienyl, any indenyl, or any alkyl indenyl compound, group or moiety having one or more C1 to C10 alkyl ring substituents.
(2) Alkoxide means any radical or group having the formula xe2x80x94OR, wherein R is an alkyl group.
(3) Cyclopentadienyl silyl amine means a compound of Formula 
in which Z is a cyclopentadienyl group or moiety and each of R1, R2 and R3 is independently, the same or a different alkyl group, preferably a C1 to C10 alkyl group.
Pursuant to this invention, an alkali metallide of a cyclopentadienyl silyl amine is reacted with a titanium tetraalkoxide Ti(OR)4 in which R is a C1 to C10 alkyl group, preferably an isopropyl group. The reaction mixture contains the desired bisalkoxide and, as a by-product, an alkali metal alkoxide which may be isolated or converted in situ to an insoluble alkali metal halide to facilitate removal by filtration. The filtrate contains the desired bisalkoxide which may be converted to the corresponding dichloride by treatment with a halogenating agent, e.g., SiCl4.
The treatment of a silyl amine with Ti(OR)4 may be accomplished in any solvent or medium in which the desired titanium bisalkoxide is soluble. Preferred solvents or media are about 10% to 25% by weight mixtures of ethyl ether and a C6 to C8 hydrocarbon. The treatment may be accomplished at a temperature of from about xe2x88x9220xc2x0 to xe2x88x9210xc2x0 C. The conversion of the alkali metal alkoxide by-product to an alkali metal halide insoluble in the solvent contained in the titanium bisalkoxide synthesis reaction mixture is appropriately conducted at a temperature of from about xe2x88x9235xc2x0 to xe2x88x9220xc2x0 C. Conversion of the bisalkoxide to the corresponding dichloride may be accomplished in situ in the synthesis reaction mixture at a temperature of xe2x88x9220xc2x0 C. to room temperature or refluxing temperature. Useful halogenating agents include SiCl4, BCl3, and AlCl3.